When was purgatory first defined as church doctrine?

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Mark_Meeks

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I help teach RCIA at our parish, and I was asked when purgatory was first defined as Church doctrine. I have given the scriptural basis for our belief in purgatory, and I mentioned that the early fathers of the church taught about purgatory, such as Tertulian, St. Ambrose, and St, Augustine. My reading, so far, has shown that the Church defined its doctrine on purgatory at the Councils of Lyons II in 1275, Florence in 1438, and Trent in 1545. I am not sure how to counter the argument that purgatory was “made up” by the Church in the Middle Ages, other than the scriptural basis for our belief (2 Macabees and 1 Corinthians, etc.) and the beliefs of our church fathers that I have already mentioned.
 
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